Electrical keyboard



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

O. E. ALLEN.

ELECTRICAL KEYBOARD No. 517,402. Patented Mar. 27, 1894.

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G. E. ALLEN.

ELEGTRIGAL KEYBOARD No. 517,402. Patented Mar. 27,1894.

' AIIIIIIIIV/ UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ELMER ALLEN, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRICAL KEYBOARD.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 517,402, dated March 27, 1894.

Application filed December 29, 1893- Serial No. 495,098. (No model.)

To otZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES ELMEE ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Keyboards for Type-Writing, Type-Printing, &c., Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to key boards for type writing, type setting and character selecting machines, and has for its object the provision of an improved electrical key board for use with type writing, type setting and other machines of that character, and consists of a row or bank, or rows or banks, or assemblage of thoroughly reliable electric contact keys of such construction as to be operated by a very slight touch, and having a repetition of the alphabet, or pro-arranged series of characters, words or phrases as many times as it may be desired, and occupying such position and relation to each other that as many keys can be simultaneously depressed as there are rows or banks upon the key board, for setting up a line of type or other characters for printing.

The invention consists essentiallyin a key board in which mercury or other fluid electric conductor is used for establishing a circuit, and it consists of a case or receptacle for the mercury or other fluid and rows or banks of suitable keys supported above the conductor in the case or receptacle in such a way and at such a position that the keys are projected'into the mercury or other fluid conductor by a very slight push or touch.

The invention further consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts hereinafter describedand more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the key board and magnets showing the arrangement of the circuits. Fig. 2 is abottom plan view of the key support B with the keys in position therein. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of Fig. 1 taken centrally thereof showing the arrangement of the keys, conductors, key support, &c. Fig. 4 is a sectional view partly broken showing the passage between the compartments of the pan and the cock therein. Fig. 5 is abroken longitudinal section of the key board with some of the keys removed, showing the chambers in which the keys are secured. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of a mat or filler for the mercury pan.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A represents the base pan which is made of any suitable conducting material,preferably cast iron, and is divided bya partition A into two compartments A and A for a purpose hereinafter described. Communication between these two compartments is had through the passage or channel a which is controlled by a cook a as shown. The compartment A is a storage or receiving chamber for the mercury and is provided with a cover F of any suitable material, and has vent holes e at or near the forward end thereof,

E is a suitable thumb screw provided on its under surface with an elastic washer, and screwed into the top F so as to cover and close the vent holes e, as is evident.

' B is a block or plate of hard rubber or other insulating material, and is preferably made of a generally rectangular shape.

B are chambers cut or molded in the plate B, and B are openings extending from the chambers B through the block B. These openings B are of smaller diameter than the chambers B, whereby shoulders oraledge is formed in the top of the chamber B and serves a purpose hereinafter set forth.

Into the chamber B and opening B are fitted suitable keys or push buttons 0. These chambers B are preferably arranged in rows, both longitudinally and transversely, of the keyboard, as shown in Fig. 2. The keys used herein are shown and more particularly described and claimed in an application for Let ters Patent for improvements in circuit closing devices filed of even date herewith and numbered serially 495,097 and are not herein claimed. Extending transversely of this plate B are grooves or channelsb between the chambers l3 and are for the purpose of receiving and holding the wires or conductors c from the keys to the outside of the plate, as shown. These grooves are equal in number to the number of transverse rows of keys, as shown. It is evident that each one of these wires 0 must be insulated in order to preserve its individual circuit.

D is one of a bank or series of magnets and may be placed at any convenient and proper place to perform any desired function.

cl is a battery which is connected to the pan by any suitable conductor, as is evident, and M is the mercury electrode. \Vhen the keys are placed in position in the chambers B in the plate B and secured therein, the plate is then secured in the top of the compartment A, and is cemented or otherwise secured therein so as to prevent the escape of mercury. The keys when in their normal position in the plate B will not project into the mercuryin the pan, but must be depressed in order to make electric contacttherewitlnasisapparent. l/Vhen itis desired to introduce mercury or other fluid conductor into the pan, the screw E is removed and the fluid pouredin through the vent holes 6 into the compartment A the cock at in the passage or channel a is then turned and the fluid or liquid conductor will then pass into the compartment A underthe keys or push buttons 0, as is evident. When it is desired to move or carry the board around the mercury or other fluid conductor can be run back into the storage con1partment A the cook a closed and the screw E turned down over the vent holes. The machine can then be moved about without throwing the mercury into contact with the keys. It will be observed that by this particular combination the mercury or other fluid in the compartment becomes the common electrode for one side of all the individual key circuits. The operation of each key is the same as that described in my application above referred to.

P is a mat or filler that has holes or openings through it. These holes or openings are arranged in parallel rows, and are connected on the under side of the mat or filler by grooves or channels 4", as shown in Fig. 6. This mat is of the same form and size as the interior of the pan or compartment A and fits snugly therein, and is used as a filler in order to do away with the use of as much mercury or other fluid conductor as possible, only so much being used as is necessary to establish a reliable circuit. The holes or openings in the mat are made so as to be directly under the stems of the keys, so that when the said keys are depressed the said stems will enter the holes and contact with the mercury therein. By use of a mat of this character all splashing of the mercury from jars or other extraneous causes will be prevented. It will be observed that by reason of the grooves or channels in the under side of the mat orfiller the withdrawal of the mercury or other fluid conductor from the compartment A will not be interfered with. And it is to be further observed that by reason of these grooves or channels in the under side of the mat or filler, the mercury therein will serve as a conducting medium to each and every hole or opening in the mat, thus putting each and every hole in electric contact and touch with every other one in the mat or filler.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an electric key board for type writing and type printing machines, the combination ofa base pan having two compartments, opening between said compartments, mercury or other fluid conductor in said pan, with bank or rows of keys or push buttons, and conductors for said pan and keys, as set forth.

2. In an electric keyboard for type writing and type printing machines, the combination of banks or rows of keys, a non-conducting plate or support for said keys substantially as described, and conductors for said keys, with a base pan, mercury or other fluid conductor therein, the said fluid being a common terminal of all of the key circuits of the key board, as setforth.

3. In an electric key board for type writing and type printing machines the combination of a base pan having two compartments having communication through a passage and a stop cock in said passage, mercury in one or both said compartments, with banks or rows of keys or push buttons, and conductors for said pan and. push buttons, as set forth.

at. A base pan or support for electric key boards having two compartments therein, and connected by suitable passage, one compartment adapted to support and hold the nonconducting key support, and the other provided with a top, vent and stop therefor, as set forth.

5. A keyboard of electric contactorcircuit closing keys in which a part of each key forms one metallic electrode of the individual circuit to which it belongs, the other electrode being a liquid electrode and forming a common terminal for the return or other side of all the individual circuits of the key board, as set forth.

(5. A key support for electric key boards consisting of a non-conducting plate provided with parallel rows of chambers and grooves or channels in the plate between the rows of the chambers, as set forth.

7. A key support for electric key boards consisting of a non-conducting plate provided with parallel rows of cylindrical chambers and grooves or channels in the under side of the plate between the rows of the cylindrical chambers and parallel with each other, as set forth.

8. A mat or filler for an electric key board having a mercury or other fluid electrode, having rows of holes or openings therein, said holes or openings being connected by grooves or channels in the under side of the mat running both longitudinally and trans versely thereof, or longitudinally, or transversely, as set forth.

9. In an electric key board for type writing and type printing machines the combination of a base pan having two compartments having communication through a passage, a stop cock therein, and mercury or other fluid conductor in one or both said compartments, with banks or rows of keys or push buttons, and non-conducting support for said keys or push buttons, as set forth.

10. In an electric key board for type writing and type printing machines the combination of a base pan having two compartments, having communication through a passage, stop cock in said passage, mercury or other fluid conductor in one or both said compartments,

and a vent and stop therefor in the rear compartment, with banks or rows of keys or push buttons, and non-conducting support for said rows of keys or push buttons, as set forth.

11. In an electric key board the combination of a base pan having two compartments, opening between said compartments and banks or rows of keys or push buttons, with magnets, and conductors connectingsaid keys or push buttons and base pan, or fluid conductor therein, with said magnets, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturevin presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES ELMER ALLEN. Witnesses:

WILLARD MOLEOD, FRANK E. DIOKERMAN. 

